Is surrogacy legal in South Korea?
Unregulated
Surrogacy was mostly unregulated in South Korea as of the mid-2010s, though commercial aspects became illegal.
South Korea is one of 10 countries classified “Unregulated” for surrogacy — 22% of the 45 with data.
Source
- Taken from
- Wikipedia: Surrogacy laws by country
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.
Nearby countries
- Japan
- Unregulated Surrogacy remains unregulated in Japan despite a 2008 proposal to ban commercial arrangements.
- China
- Banned Surrogacy is forbidden by regulation in China, prohibiting medical professionals from performing procedures.
- Hong Kong
- Banned Commercial surrogacy is a criminal offense in Hong Kong, while altruistic surrogacy is unregulated.
- Philippines
- Unregulated There is no specific legal framework for surrogacy in the Philippines, creating legal barriers for intended parents.
- Vietnam
- Altruistic only Altruistic surrogacy is legal for specific married couples under strict conditions.
- Thailand
- Varies by region Commercial surrogacy is banned for foreigners in Thailand but allowed for opposite-sex married residents.
Other laws in South Korea
- Abortion
- Legal on request
- Euthanasia
- Passive only
- Suicide Laws
- Not a crime
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.